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Afghanistan 'suspends security talks' with US

Country suspends strategic security negotiations with US over peace process, a presidential spokesman says.

19 Jun 2013 07:53 GMT

Afghanistan has suspended security negotiations with the United States, according to a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

The spokesman said on Wednesday that the talks were being suspended because of "inconsistent US statement and action" in the Taliban peace process.

"There is a contradiction between what the US government says and what it does regarding Afghanistan peace talks," Aimal Faizi, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, told AFP.

"The president suspended the BSA [Bilateral Security Agreement] talks with the US this morning."

The BSA is meant to provide a strategic framework for US troops to remain in the country after the 2014 withdrawal date.

The move by Karzai comes a day after the United States said that it would engage in direct negotiations with the Taliban, who officially opened a political office in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday.

Faizi said that Karzai particularly objected to "the name of the [Taliban's] office" in the Qatari capital.

"The president is not happy with the name of the office. We oppose the title the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' because such a thing doesn't exist," Faizi said. "The US was aware of the president's stance."